Portable capstan



(No Mod a1.) J. 0., L. F58; A. P. BRESSLER.

PGRTABLE .OAPSTAN.

N0. 301,665. Patented July 8, 1884.

jmazz azr N-ITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

JACOB O. BRESSLER, LOW'ELL F. BRESSLER, AND ALLEN P. BRESSLER, OF

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

PORTABLE CAPSTAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo/3OL665, dated July 8,1884.

Application filed May 31, 1884. (No model.)

ground, and is particularly applicable to themoving of housesand thelike.

The objectof our invention is to so con struct the capstan that it maybe more quickly, easily, and securely anchored for service, and withless difficulty transported from place to place, than any capstan knownto us.

The invention consists in making the fluke which holds the capstan inposition a broad, sharp, and comparatively thin blade of iron or steel,suitably strengthened and secured to the frame, and in providing thefront end of the capstan with a pivotal truck, which enables the fluketo enterthe ground its entire length when anchored, and lifts itentirely clear of the ground for transportation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofthe capstan; Fig. 2, a front end elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 aplan view of the fluke.

For convenience, the end to which the team is hitched in transportingthecapstan is called fluke was usually shod with iron or steel.

the front end, which is the extremity at the left in Fig.1. The mainframe A A is not materially diiferent from those in general use, andneed not be specially described. In the construction and arrangement ofthe fluke B, however, important changes will be observed. Hitherto ithas consisted of awooden spur eX- tending downward in a greater or lessangle and terminating in a point. The face of the In order to obtain therequisite strength it became necessary to make the fluke wide in thedirection of the longitudinal strain, and as a natural result it waswithgreat difficulty anchored in the ground, especially in hard, compactedstreets. Before the capstan could be set it was necessary to dig holesfor the fiukes, at a considerable loss of time and to the injury of thestreet. To obviate all this trouble we make the fluke thin in thedirection of longitudinal strain and wide on the bearing-face,

pointed atthe bottom, and with sharp edges at the sides. The result is,that it readily enters even the hardest soil without any previousdigging, and simply by the draft of the hauling-cable. To give it therequired strength,

a brace, b, is secured to its rear face by riveting or welding, andintersects the flange by which it is attached to the frame. The flukeispreferably made of steel-at least the edged and pointed part. Insteadof being forged,

however, it may be cast, and the brace b may be a simple rib. The formshown is specially desirable from the facilities it affords forfastening the fluke to the frame. Besides the sin gle bolt passingthrough both brace and flange,

the fluke is still further secured by means of the clip a, extendingdiagonally across the bed-piece A, and behind the upright A.

To render the capstan portable,its rear end is lnounted'on the fixedtruck 0, and the front end on the pivotal truck I). TheaXle c, whichcarries the wheels, is connected to a rock-sh aft, F, pivoted to theframe A, by means of arms E. At rightangles to these arms, andconnecting also with the axle F, is an arm, G, provided with a hook, c,or equivalent means for connecting it with the whiftletrees. Both thearms E E and the draft-bar G are braced by 1 the rodi. The effect ofthis construction of the truck will be seen by reference to Fig. 1. Theprincipal figure represents the fluke about half-way into the ground andthe truck thrown forward, giving the frame liberty to still furtherdescend. The dotted outlineshows the. same lifted entirely free from theground, the forward wheels under the front end of the frame and thedraftbar extending forward in a horizontal line. The whole machine isthus .in a position to transport from place to place as easily as anordinary vehicle. Heretofore it has been customary to drag the capstanon the heel of the flnkca matter requiring a' greatdeal of power,besides injuri ng the fluke to a greater or less extent. The changes inthe position of the front truck are very easily and quickly made. *Whenthe capstan is an chored, the team is hitched to the draftbar G,

and the machine is drawn forward and upward 3. In a portable capstan, afluke, wholly of in a line corresponding to the angle of the fluke,until the latter is out of the ground and the capstan is in the positionindicated by the dotted outline in Fig. 1. \Vhen in that position, andit is desired to anchor it, the truckwheels are easily thrown forward bylifting the draft-bar G, when the combined weight of the capstan and thedraft upon the cable forces the fluke into the earth.

In orderto give sufficient length to the draftbar, and at the same timeenable the sweep to pass over it when in a vertical position, the hook cis hinged to it and may be turned down, as shown'in the drawings. 7

Having thus described our invention. what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is-

1. In a portable capstan, a forward truck consisting of a wheel-bearin gaxle with wheels therefor, connected by arms or their equivalents to arock-shaft pivotedin the main frame, and provided with an arm extendingin aright angle to a line passing through the axle and rock-shaft, ornearly so, which arm serves as a lever for lifting the capstan-fluke outof the ground and as a draft-bar for transportation, substantially asspecified.

2. In a portable capstan, the combination of wheels D D, axle e,conneetingarms E, rock-shaft F, draft-bar G. and hook c, with thecapstan-frame A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

iron or steel,or both, having a broad bearingsurface, and being pointed,edged, and-.made thin enough in the line of draft to enable it to enterthe ground by the weight of the capstan and the strain of the cable,substantially as specified.

4. In aportable capstan, abroad, thin, sharpedged, and pointed fluke,suitably braced to resist longitudinal strain, and secured to the .frameof the capstan by a vertical bolt and a diagonal clip, substantially asshown and de- 45 scribed. a

5. In a portable capstan, a broad, thin, sharpedged, and pointedmetallic fluke, having a brace secured near the middle of its rear faceby riveting or welding, and extending thence 50 J A0013 0. BRESSLER.LOYVELL F. BRESSLER. ALLEN P. BRESSLER.

WVitnesscs:

SAMUEL M. ENDIOOTT, Gno. H. FUNK.

